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MSER-04 Anf
The MSER-04 Anf (aka Anf) is a mass-produced mobile suit of the Human Reform League and appeared in both seasons of Mobile Suit Gundam 00. Technology & Combat Characteristics As indicated by its model number, the MSER-04 Anf, is a redesigned version of the Human Reform League's (HRL) retired mainstay mobile suit, the MSJ-04 Fanton, for export and rental purposes.Mobile Suit Gundam 00N Chapter 6'Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Mechanics 1st' Book'Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Archives' Book The Fanton is being replaced by the MSJ-06II-A Tieren Ground Type as the HRL turned away from fossil fuel in favor of solar energy.Gundam 00 Japanese Official Website Profile PageArchived Gundam 00 English Official Website Profile Page Differences between the Anf and the Fanton are minor, consisting of some altered armor and a new set of weaponry.Gundam Perfect File Vol.12 – Anf/Shuichai Mechanic File Running on fossil fuel like its predecessor, the intended clients for the Anf are naturally centered on the fossil fuel using Middle Eastern nations. This is reinforced by its name, Anf, which means "Nose" in Arabic. Export of the Anf later expands from the Middle East to the entire African continent. As a mobile suit, the Anf has exceptional low price, making it very suitable for the many poor nations in these regions as well as terrorist groups in various locations that could not afford newer mobile suits. There are also simply no better alternatives for them. Other characteristics that make the Anf popular include its low breakdown rate and a structure that can be easily repaired. The success of the Anf in the Middle East prompted the HRL to produce more, further reducing its manufacturing cost and leading to increase demand from other regions. As fossil fuels are hard to obtain outside of the Middle East, a chemical reaction fuel engine that does not emit carbon dioxide was developed by HRL as a substitute for fossil fuel engine. Many early production Anfs have made the switch to this new engine, as the retrofitting process is relatively simple. The Anf's cockpit has a cramped interior, but this lack of comfort is not a major issue, as combat operations typically do not last very long. The pilot controls the mobile suit while leaning forward awkwardly to look at the monitor located in a relatively small, rectangular, protruding viewing port. To maintain minimal level of combat capability while keeping costs down, the Anf's standard armament is a head-mounted machine and a forearm-mounted smoothbore gun. Its combat performance is inferior to the Tieren Ground Type and other new mobile suits, but it remains formidable against other types of weapons. In nations where Anfs are the mainstay mobile suits, their opponents are also using Anfs, so they end up countering each other. The Anfs are also used in non-combat roles such as for work purposes, maintaining public order, etc. Even in AD2312, with the GN Drive-related technology driving rapid advancement in the field of mobile suit, the Anf is still very common globally thanks to its value for money and high reliability. Armaments ;*200mm x 25 Caliber Smoothbore Gun :The Anf's primary weapon, this mid-range shell-firing gun is mounted on the forearm hardpoints. It is very similar, if not identical, in appearance to the MSJ-06II-A Tieren Ground Type's smoothbore gun and seems to have similar performance as well. Its magazine can be loaded with various type of ammunitions. ;*30mm Machine Gun :Located below the head, this 30mm machine gun is easier to use than the Fanton's smoothbore gun.'Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Data Archives' Book It has a wide range of attack due to its rotatable base. Besides having the same caliber as the internally mounted machine gun of the Tieren Ground Type, the Anf's machine gun also has identical power and rapid fire capabilities. It is primarily for anti-personnel purposes, destroying light vehicles, and to restrict enemy movements. History As the Human Reform League (HRL) phased out the Fanton for the Tieren series, it redesigned the old mobile suit into the Anf for export and rental. With its fossil fuel engine, the Anf is targeted at Middle Eastern nations that have access to this rare resource and have not benefited from the Solar Power System. From there, the export of Anf expands to Africa. In both regions, the Anf reign as the mainstay mobile suit. This extremely cheap mobile suit is so common in the Middle East that it is joked that any missile fired in the region will definitely hit an Anf. One of the Middle Eastern nations using Anf is the Kingdom of Azadistan, which is known to have deploy the mobile suit in AD 2301 during the war against the Republic of Krugis. When a civil war occurred in Azadistan in AD 2307, a coup d'état group unsuccessfully attempted to use Anfs to destroy the solar power receiving station being built by the United Nations. Anfs were also seen guarding the nation's royal palace. Terrorist groups also make use of this mobile suit, with one such group attempting to attack a nuclear facility in the Taklamakan Desert. Unbeknownst to them, this terrorist group was used by the three blocs (HRL, Union and AEU) to lure Celestial Being into a trap. Numerous trading companies worldwide are also involved in the selling of Anfs. Some of them supplied work-use Anfs (units without any weaponry) to regions under arms embargo and then offer local services to modify these units into combat use mobile suits. It is an open secret that regions under arms embargo have numerous combat use Anfs. There are also unscrupulous companies that merely polish the exterior of retired Fantons and put them on sale as newly produced Anfs. The HRL does deploy Anfs locally but they are mostly modified Fantons. The northern HRL regions that see few mobile suit battles have more Anfs than the south, where the operating mobile suits are being replaced by the Tieren series at a higher rate. The Anfs were also utilized by the Sinhalese majority during the civil war in Ceylon, where they go up against the Tieren series machines of the HRL-backed Tamil Tigers. In Union's territories, the overall number of Anfs is very low. In Alaska and other parts of North America, some Anfs are used by the armed forces for tests. Anfs with certain functions restricted are also imported for personal use and use by private companies. In South America, the number of Anfs is higher as older mobile suits operating there before the region joined the Union are still in use. In Australia, Anfs are mostly imported for work related purposes. They are operated as large workloaders as their durability and power output are superior to their Union made counterparts. A small number of combat use Anfs is stationed in Australia for emergency deployment in Southeast Asian countries to protect the Union's Orbital Elevator. In the AEU, the Anf's deployment state is similar to that of Australia. The overall number of Anfs here is low, with more than half deployed for work related purposes. The combat use Anfs are mainly deployed in regions that are close to Moscow and other HRL territories. Even in AD 2312, there are still more Anfs worldwide than the Earth Sphere Federation Forces' GN-X series, with the bulk of these cheap mobile suits being found in HRL. It is also one of the many mobile suits operated by the anti-federation group, Katharon, and is painted in the group's distinctive blue color scheme. Variants ;*Work Use Export Specification :Anfs created to be exported as large workloaders, they carry no weaponry. They can be purchased by regions under arms embargo, and there are many cases where after being imported, they are modified with weapons and used for combat. ;*HRL Forces Specification :Used by the HRL Forces after the deployment of the Tieren. These Anfs are often confused with the MSJ-04 Fanton, but the two mobile suits differ in areas such as weaponry and are categorized as separate machines. However, it is a fact that many of these units are modified from the Fanton. ;*Factory Rollout Specification :Unpainted Anf with anti-corrosion treatment carried out on the armor surface. Units in this state are often supplied to the specialized trading companies by the HRL government. The trading companies then paint and add markings on the mobile suit according to the buyers' preference. ;*Earth Sphere Federation Forces Specification :Used for maintaining public order. It specializes in subduing hostile personnel and is not meant for anti-MS combat. Additional armor plates are added as a countermeasure to rocket strikes and the main camera is fitted with a clear cover. ;*Basic Export Specification :Developed for the Middle East and the African continent. Its body colors are selected to fit operating in the desert and wasteland. There are countless units in this specification, and it has become the representative image color for the Anf. ;*Winter Camouflage Specification :Anfs in night combat colors are repainted in winter camouflage when deployed in areas near Europe and in Russia. As painting the whole unit requires lots of paint, the top section became the main focus of the painting so as to avoid attacks from airborne units which are most troublesome to Anfs. ;*AEU Forces Urban Combat Specification :Intended for use in urban areas within and around the African region where no powerful mobile suits exist. The camouflage paint scheme on the top half is meant to blend in with the sky when viewed by personnel at ground level, while the bottom half is painted in urban combat-use ACU camouflage. It is based on the premise that battle is in visual range and with radar inoperable. ;*Union Enslaved Target Practice Specification :These Anfs are based on units captured during HRL's invasion of Alaska and other regions. They belong to the Union Forces' Ground Combat MS Training and Tactics Research division and are used as targets in tests and training sessions. It is said they are extremely rare within the Union. Picture Gallery Anf in Battle.jpg|Anf (Gundam Perfect File) MSER-04 Anf (Foot unit).jpg|Scratchbuild foot unit Notes & Trivia References oon4.jpg|Gundam 00N Chapter 6: Anf Variations (Top (left to right): Work Use Export Specification, HRL Forces Specification, Factory Rollout Specification. Mid: Earth Sphere Federation Forces Specification, Basic Export Specification. Bot: Winter Camouflage Specification, AEU Forces Urban Combat Specification, Union Enslaved Target Practice Specification) oon3.jpg|Gundam 00N Chapter 6: Article on Anf and its global distribution External links *MSER-04 Anf on MAHQ.net